<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Tactical Difficulties by flannelfeelings</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915735">Tactical Difficulties</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/flannelfeelings/pseuds/flannelfeelings'>flannelfeelings</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Brooklyn Nine-Nine (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Canon Divergent, Claustrophobia, Denial of Feelings, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Episode: s01e19 Tactical Village, F/M, Flirting, Fluff, Mutual Pining, Panic Attacks, Phobias, Pining, Pre-Relationship, Unbeta'd, takes place in s1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 03:07:41</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,479</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25915735</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/flannelfeelings/pseuds/flannelfeelings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>A routine training drill leaves Amy trapped in a closet, and Jake is left to help her through the experience.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jake Peralta/Amy Santiago</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>129</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Tactical Difficulties</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>here is some pre-relationship pining! i love tactical village and have always tried to figure out a way to write a fanfic with it...heres what I got!</p><p> </p><p>Hope you enjoy and please lmk your thoughts!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Normally, Jake looked forward to training drills. It was an excuse to goof off, shoot paintballs at volunteers in gray t-shirts, play in what was essentially a gigantic, free obstacle course, and try to make the squad laugh with his over exaggerated characters.</p><p>Today though, he was not in the mood. As he joined the 99 in suiting up for the drill, he watched Amy from the corner of his eye. She’d just reconnected with an old flame from another department, Teddy Wells. They seemed to be laughing quite a bit, which for some reason, put Jake in a sour mood. He didn’t even know why it bothered him so much to watch Santiago giggling and shoving Wells’ shoulder playfully. She could do whatever she wanted.</p><p>Besides, it wasn’t like they had...anything. He had absolutely no reason to go rigid and stiff whenever she brushed up against Teddy’s side or flipped her hair teasingly. Yet, he could feel his body getting more and more tense the longer he watched them, trying desperately to focus on fastening his bulletproof vest and not on the sound of her airy laughter.</p><p>Upon seeing that Wells’ division had just set a new record for pace on the course, which made Amy proudly congratulate Teddy, Jake made a decision. Amy was interested in him ‘cause he was by the book? Fine. Jake would be <em>twice</em> as by the book. Or whatever.</p><p>He was gonna smoke that guy. He was gonna shatter that stupid record.</p><p>Jake was secretly insanely pleased to be partnered up with Amy, who had his back, eager herself to take the drill seriously and try to win. Her competitive streak always came out during things like this, and it was hard not to find it impossibly cute how aggressive she got.</p><p>After clearing the first and second floor, they stealthily approached the top landing, backs pressed on either wall, paintball guns drawn as they slid down the wallpapered hallway. Jake checked the first door. Empty room. He nodded to Amy, and she checked the next one down. Another empty room.</p><p>They were about halfway down the hall when Amy pulled open the door to reveal a small, crowded closet. Inside, however, was a tall, burly man with the word <strong>“PERP”</strong> written across his t-shirt in red ink. Before either detective could react, the volunteer grabbed Amy by the biceps and shoved her in the closet, replacing where he’d just stood.</p><p>Jake moved into action, aiming his paintball gun and shooting the guy in the back as he slammed the closet door shut on Amy, who’d just aimed at him as well.</p><p>“Damn it!” the volunteer shook his head, wincing at the wetness of the paint on his back as he started to exit the hallway back to base.</p><p>“Too slow.” Jake teased with a smirk, watching him go with a pleasant wave. He approached the closet door and yelled, “Santiago, let’s go we’re wasting time!”</p><p>He noticed the handle jiggling, and his brow creased as Amy replied, “The door-the door! It’s stuck!”</p><p>Jake reached out for the handle, “Hey, stop messing with it! I’m gonna try.” He wrapped his hand around the knob and twisted, pulling with all his strength, but the door appeared to be jammed.</p><p>"Shit." Jake cursed. Stupid cheap courses, “Can you break it down?”</p><p>“There’s not enough room!” her voice had taken on a sharp edge, though it was slightly muffled by the wood, “Kick it in!”</p><p>“I can’t,” Jake shook his head, then realized she couldn’t see him, “It will hurt you if you’re that close."</p><p>"I don't care do it anyway Jake!"</p><p>"How about instead of bludgeoning you with a door, I go grab Terry so he can get the maintenance people up here?” He suggested.</p><p>“No! Don’t leave!” Amy’s voice was a shrill squeal, an octave higher than he’d ever heard her go.</p><p>Then, he remembered something. It was an offhand admission she’d made one night at dinner with the squad, everyone was going around saying their biggest fears. Amy mentioned that she was suffocatingly claustrophobic.</p><p>“Shit.” Jake said, scratching the back of his neck nervously, “You’re not good with small spaces, are you?”</p><p>“Understatement of the century Peralta, just radio for help!” the urgent panic in her voice was increasing with each moment she was stuck in there.</p><p>“Alright alright.” Jake grabbed the radio from his vest shoulder and said, “Sarge?”</p><p>“What’s up Peralta? Why are you just standing there by a door?” Terry’s voice came through the radio, confused as he saw on the surveillance that Jake was talking to a door.</p><p>“Amy’s stuck in this closet, the door is jammed and it’s too tight to break it, I don’t want to bury her with the door. We don’t have any tools, can you get one of the maintenance people for the course up here?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Terry replied hesitantly, “As soon as they’re done getting Charles out of the vent.”</p><p>“What?” Jake demanded.</p><p>“Charles is stuck in an air vent. He was trying to sneak into one of the rooms to grab the hostages, but uh...he got a little stuck. It’s gonna take them a while to get him out, but once they do I’ll send them your way to get the door open.”</p><p>Jake glanced nervously at the door, chewing on his lower lip before replying, “Alright...just hurry.”</p><p>“I don’t control the speed in which they break Charles out of the vents!” Terry hissed back, and the static of his radio disconnected.</p><p>“So good news.” Jake said to the door, “Maintenance is coming to open the door.”</p><p>“Oh thank god!” The relief in her tone was audible, even muffled by the wood.</p><p>“But,” Jake continued, “They’re dealing with another issue that’s more important so...it’s gonna take a little while.”</p><p>“I’m gonna die in here!” Amy wailed, panic resurging in her voice.</p><p>It was a little unsettling to hear the usually so collected Amy so vulnerable and frantic. Of all of them, she always had it together and didn’t panic. Jake had never seen her like this. It made his chest hurt with a strange, unfamiliar feeling. He yearned to smash the door to bits and curl her against his chest until her frightened cries calmed and she relaxed in his embrace.</p><p>He shook that thought off; it was impossible and not something she’d want. She’d rather have Teddy here with her anyway.</p><p>“I can go see if Detective Wells will sit with you until they can get you out.” He offered, though it made him want to melt into the floor.</p><p>“Don’t leave!” She repeated, “Please Jake, please don’t-”</p><p>“Okay, okay.” Jake touched his palm to the door as if that helped at all, and said, “Just calm down Santiago. It’ll be fine. I’m not going anywhere.”</p><p>“It’s getting smaller in here,” she insisted frantically, “The walls are closing in.”</p><p>“Hey, no they aren’t.” Jake was at a loss, he wished more than anything he could bust in there and break her out so she didn’t have to suffer any longer, “You’re gonna be okay. It’s just a closet.”</p><p>“I <em>know</em> that!” She snarled, though there was no real malice in her growl. It was tinted heavily with fear.</p><p>“Why are you so afraid of small spaces anyway?” He demanded, sitting down against the door with his head resting on it to better hear her garbled voice through the material, “You’re not scared of anything.”</p><p>There was an audible sigh, and Amy replied shakily, “When I was little my older brothers locked me in our shed and wouldn’t let me out until I agreed to give them my allowance. I was in there four five hours until my mom finally got home from work and realized what was going on.”</p><p>Jake balked, “How old were you?”</p><p>“Six.”</p><p>He shook his head with a disbelieving laugh, “Damn Santiago, you should’ve just given up the allowance.”</p><p>“<em>That’s</em> your takeaway, you dick?!” She demanded.</p><p>“I mean, no!” Jake’s eyes widened as he realized how insensitive he’d just come off, “That’s awful. Men are monsters even from a young age. I was just saying you know...you’ve always been stubborn.”</p><p>“Some people like tenacity!” Amy hissed defensively and Jake fought off a smile. Even in the midst of a phobic episode she was aggressively bullheaded.</p><p>“Just weird that the fearless Amy Santiago has such a crazy phobia.” Jake mused, “You’re normally so indestructible.”</p><p>There was a pause, a brief silence, and then Amy replied quietly, “I’m not… not really.”</p><p>Jake’s brow softened, and he glanced sideways at the door, wishing he could see her face. He desperately wanted to ask her what she meant by that, but he was afraid of what that type of conversation might lead to.</p><p>Besides, before he could, there was a loud <em>crash</em> from another floor, and he flinched at the sound.</p><p>“Jake!” Amy cried, the full-fledged terror in her voice was utterly heartbreaking, “Jake what was that!”</p><p>“My guess is maintenance just broke into the vent system to try and find Charles,” Jake answered quickly, “Which is good, means they’ll get here faster.”</p><p>“Oh god…” Amy’s voice was bordering on a whimper, “I have to get out of here. There’s gotta be a way out…”</p><p>Jake sat up straighter and listened to the sounds of shuffling from inside the closet. Things being knocked over, clattering to the floor as Amy destroyed the contents of the small space, frantically searching for an escape.</p><p>“Amy,” he tried to reason with her, “You’re not gonna get out that way. Just give it some time and they’ll be up here with some tools for the door.”</p><p>“I can’t!” she whined, “I have to- I can’t- I can’t breathe!”</p><p>“Hey, it’s okay.” Jake’s hand was on the door again, his voice a bit urgent as he grew concerned about the hitch in her breath, “Amy, take a deep breath. You’re gonna be fine. It’s okay, just breathe.”</p><p>“I-I can’t-” her voice was bordering on a gasp, which had him growing more and more panicked, “I can’t.” she repeated.</p><p>“Amy, just breathe okay? Take a deep breath, in and out.” unsure of what else to do, Jake inhaled loudly and slowly, and let the breath out just as loud, hoping to be a model for her to try and follow.</p><p>Silence followed, and he felt panic spike in his veins. Had she passed out? Had she finally broken and couldn’t reply? Had she collapsed from the lack of air? Worse? He stiffened and sat up straighter, rapping on the wood with his palm.</p><p>“Ames?” There was an unpleasant, somewhat urgent edge in his voice, “Amy?”</p><p>Nothing.</p><p>“Hey, talk to me Amy! You’re freaking me out here.”</p><p>Still no reply. If anything happened to her on his watch-</p><p>He couldn’t even think about that.</p><p>“<em>Amy</em>!”</p><p>“I’m trying to breath Peralta!” she growled, and relief burst through his chest.</p><p>Jake let out a sigh of relief, leaning back against the door as he rubbed his eyes. Why the hell was he getting so worked up? She was fine, just sitting in a closet, totally unharmed. He couldn’t explain to himself why he suddenly felt so tense and wanted to get her out of there as soon as possible. There was nothing to be afraid of but her own psyche, still, that was enough to make the stress stiffen his entire body.</p><p>“Sorry,” he responded tensely. It was quiet for a few beats, then, he heard another confusing and concerning noise from inside.</p><p>“Santiago?” Jake’s voice was soft, hesitant, “Are you...crying?”</p><p>“N-no.” she replied, but the wobble in her voice and the sniffling hitch at the end gave her away.</p><p>“Oh.” it came out of him as a hushed whisper, an inherent reaction to the crushing pain that danced across his chest at the sound of her distress. Knowing that she was in there, crying, alone, just a few feet away and there was nothing he could do but<em> listen</em>, it was agonizing.</p><p>He’d teased her before for tearing up at a romantic commercial, or rubbing her watery eyes during a bad allergy season, even for laughing so hard she cried, usually at something stupid he did. But he’d never heard his fellow detective make heartbreaking sounds like this.</p><p>Her weeping awakened something urgent inside him. The overwhelming<em> need</em> to be by her side, to destroy whatever was making her feel that way. To protect. To do anything in his power to replace her tears with a smiling face.</p><p>“What can I do?” his voice was pathetic, bordering on a beg, “What can I do Amy?”</p><p>“I-I don’t know,” she admitted in a trembling voice, “I don’t know anything right now- I’m so <em>afraid.</em>”</p><p>“I’m right here.” Jake said, sliding his hand underneath the crack at the bottom of the door, “See this?” he wiggled his fingers.</p><p>“Kinda.” she sniffled, “It’s dark.”</p><p>“Grab them.” he told her.</p><p>It took a moment, but he felt her hand gently slide over to wrap around what was exposed of his limb. His hand didn’t fit past the knuckle, but she wrapped her fingers around his and squeezed so tightly he felt his bones pop. He didn’t care, because he was holding Amy Santiago’s hand. In a weird, uncomfortable, duressed situation, sure. It still counted though.</p><p>“I’m here, Ames.” Jake repeated, pressing his forehead into the door, “It’s gonna be okay.”</p><p>“Please distract me.” Amy’s voice was desperate, though it seemed gripping his fingers had helped to quell her cries for the time being, “Tell me a story. Anything.”</p><p>This request surprised him, but he just started talking, willing to do anything to calm her down at this point. He opened his mouth and let the first words that came to mind spill out.</p><p>“My dad called me yesterday.” He said shortly, regretting the words the moment they left his lips.</p><p>“He did?” her voice was surprised, intrigued, “You’re not exactly close, right?”</p><p>“Nah, he kinda sucks.” Jake admitted tentatively, “I mean..I shouldn’t say that. He’s not perfect, but he’s still my dad.”</p><p>“What did he say, when he called?” Her voice was a bit more steady now, focused on his issue rather than her crippling phobia.</p><p>Jake chuckled humorlessly, “He wanted to know if it’s illegal to bring a flight attendant in from Canada and move her into your apartment without reporting it to immigration services.”</p><p>The disgust was clear in Amy’s voice, “That’s...gross.”</p><p>“Didn’t I just say he sucks?”</p><p>“So what’d you tell him?” Amy demanded.</p><p>Jake let out a genuine laugh this time, “That they’ll be more lenient if she brings maple syrup.”</p><p>Amy scoffed, “Did you really say that?”</p><p>“Yeah.” Jake snorted, “Then he said <em>‘get serious Jacob’</em> and I told him to google it. Then he hung up.”</p><p>“He just disconnected?” Amy asked in disbelief, “Just like that?”</p><p>“That’s my old man.” Jake shrugged, then remembered she couldn’t see it, “But hey, no one’s parents are perfect, right?”</p><p>“I guess not.” She replied tentatively, “I mean, mine didn’t know I was locked in a shed for five hours.”</p><p>Jake laughed, shoulders relaxing a bit as her demeanor grew more collected, “You ever think about doing that?”</p><p>“Having kids?” Amy asked.</p><p>“No, locking someone in a storage shed.” He rolled his eyes, “Yeah. Kids.”</p><p>“Yes.” Amy admitted after a moment, “I want them. You?”</p><p>“Probably not.” Jake replied, “I think I’d screw them up.”</p><p>Amy’s grip on his fingers tightened marginally, and he glanced down in surprise, though he couldn’t see his hand beneath the door.</p><p>“I think you turned out pretty great.” Amy said surely.</p><p>Jake frowned, looking at the door as if he could decipher what she was thinking through the hardwood. Part of him yearned to outright ask her what exactly she meant, but the rational part knew that he was just overthinking it, and he was stupid to think she’d ever be genuinley complimenting him.</p><p>She was just being polite. No use fooling himself.</p><p>Still, it would be rude not to return the compliment, “You too. Basically any kid you have is gonna be a genius baby.”</p><p>Amy laughed, “Probably.”</p><p>“Though...they may have some irrational fears.” He teased. This time she squeezed his fingers so hard it hurt, and he yelped, “Ow!”</p><p>“<em>That’s</em> for insulting my hypothetical genius babies.” Amy hissed, though there was no real anger in her words.</p><p>“Peralta,” Terry’s voice came through on the radio, and Jake startled a little. He pulled his hand free of Amy’s to grab his radio.</p><p>“Sarge?”</p><p>“They’re done with Boyle, maintenance is headed your way to get Amy out of the closet.”</p><p>“Oh, great. Thanks.” He returned the radio to it’s spot on his vest.</p><p>“Where are you?” Amy demanded, and he glanced down to see her fingers sticking out from under the door.</p><p>Jake moved his hand down and grabbed her fingers, “They’re on the way to get you out.” He assured her.</p><p>“Oh thank God.” her voice echoed with relief. She was quiet for a second, then said, “Sorry we didn’t break the record.”</p><p>Jake laughed, “It’s not your fault Amy. I don’t even really care about the record, as long as you get out of there.”</p><p>“Really?” She asked softly, almost unsure.</p><p>“‘Course.” Jake forced his voice to come out nonchalant, “Teddy can have this win.”</p><p>Jake meant it. Teddy could have the record. Because Jake had just gotten one of the most intimate moments with Amy he’d ever had, and as pathetic as it was, this would probably sustain him for a while as his pining grew more painful. Even if she walked out here and ran right into Teddy’s arms, Jake knew he was there for her when she needed him. It was his hand she squeezed under the door. It was him that she begged to stay by her side. That was enough for right now.</p><p>It didn’t take long for the maintenance team to show up with tools ready. They were able to discern that the issue was with the hinge being broken, and just took the door entirely off the frame. The instant the door was off, Amy lurched forward out of the closet.</p><p>Jake was surprised to feel her weight collide with him as she threw her arms around his neck and buried her face in his chest. He didn’t miss a beat, wrapping his own arms around her and securing her against him, closing his eyes as he buried his face in her hair.</p><p>She smelled like Kiwi shampoo and some sort of tropical lotion. Her dark locks were soft and smooth, falling against him as he nestled her closer. Her shaking body was pressed tightly against his chest, his arms the only thing keeping her steady and upright.</p><p>It was intimate and passionate and closer than they’d ever been. It was also kinda weird with the maintenance guys watching them.</p><p>“Sorry.” Amy breathed, pulling away to look up at him. Her eyes were still watery and swollen, the tip of her nose a little red from her crying. The melancholy, but bittersweet expression on her face was unbearably adorable.</p><p>“S’kay.” Jake shrugged it off, feigning nonchalance once again, “You good?” He looked her over, confirming that she had no visible injuries.</p><p>“I’m alright.” she nodded, wiping at her face, “I’m sorry that I...lost it back there. Thank you, Jake. You have no idea how much you helped me back there.”</p><p>“Don’t apologize.” Jake shook his head, “I won’t tell anyone what a baby you were.”</p><p>Amy’s fist swung around and crashed into Jake’s bicep, “I wasn’t a <em>baby</em>!”</p><p>“Chill Santiago, I<em> just</em> said I wasn’t gonna tell anyone.” he teasingly nudged her and started for the staircase, “Let’s go, I think the drill is over for the day. 2/7's of our team is incapacitated.”</p><p>“You grossly misunderstand fractions.” Amy shook her head as she followed him down the hall.</p><p>Jake glanced back at her. Her expression was the typical ‘<em>oh Peralta…</em>’ she usually had when he was being dumb. But there was something more there...something genuine, something deeper than just being fed up with his antics. Something that was grateful, and more connected to him than either of them could have ever imagined.</p><p>Jake let that carry him through the night, even when he had to watch Teddy hugging her and asking if she was alright. Even when he had to watch Teddy throw an arm around her shoulders possessively, and even when Amy leaned into the embrace.</p><p>It was okay. Teddy could have today.</p><p>Because today had given Jake some hope that maybe someday, no matter how far down the line, it would be Jake ending the night with his arm around her shoulder.</p><p>And he was willing to wait for that..</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>